Both are true for Theo's restaurant, a familiar downtown hangout reopening this month. Former patrons will revel in what they loved about the restaurant, while also finding something new to keep their interest, co-operators Ted Buetow and Randy Cunzenheim said.

Still, the friendliness will never change. "It was really like a family atmosphere," Cunzenheim said. "Like you knew everybody here. Everybody was a regular."

As hungry patrons enter Theo's from Main Street, they might see Jess Ellison smiling from behind the piano he's played for years. Patrons will likely hear the familiar voice from the kitchen of Buetow, the head chef who directs kitchen staff and inspects the fine details of each dish.

Theo's will still have the same nostalgic supper club feel for which the best Wisconsin restaurants are known and an art-deco appearance, said Cunzenheim, the newly appointed co-operator who retired in January as an assistant chief at Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue.

Even so, much has changed since Theo's Cream City Chop House owned by the Buetow family closed in May 2013 after a 20-year run.

For instance, the restaurant is now called Theo's 24 Steaks, Seafood, and Wine Bar, the number a nod to its address, 24 N. Main St.

While patrons wait to be seated, they can order drinks from a bartender behind a renovated bar while watching a Wisconsin Badgers football game on a new drop-down TV projector screen. They can choose from among 16 craft beers on tap and an elaborate, high-end wine menu.

Buetow said the wine selection will be a focal point of the new restaurant.

After receiving drinks, the party would be seated at a dining table made of reclaimed California redwood, which used to line a Wisconsin sauerkraut vat.

Cunzenheim might launch into telling the story of how different the wood looked before he and his father painstakingly refurbished it. "The boards looked like hell when we got them," he said. "These trees had to have been a couple thousand years old. In just five inches I counted 175 growth rings."

When the patrons order meals, they will have a mix of familiar and not so familiar dishes to choose from. Buetow said Theo's is one of the only area restaurants serving certified Angus prime beef. New among the selections are veal, several sandwiches and salads and a tapas menu.

"My name is on it," Buetow said. "I sign off on it. I have to be proud of my product. If not, I can't expect my staff to be excited about what we're doing here."

The reopening is a realization of almost a year's work.

Buetow left Theo's to be executive chef at Trinity Restaurant and Hall, located in the transformed former Immanuel Trinity Lutheran Church building at 40 E. Division St. In December 2014, Buetow announced he would reopen Theo's.

Buetow said he's learned lessons from the venture and is ready to apply his knowledge to the rebirth of the family restaurant.

Patrons of Theo's "should be wowed by the server," Buetow said. "They should feel like they're taken care of. That's the biggest thing I learned from my time at Trinity."

Buetow said he's also more knowledgeable about the business side of a restaurant, such as the accounting. Cunzenheim will take on the bulk of that work while Buetow focuses on the food and customer service, he said.

Contractors have been involved in some of the improvements, such as to the storefront and to the interior installation of electrical, plumbing and an HVAC system.

But most of the legwork has been by Buetow, Cunzenheim and their families. It's a task Buetow said he couldn't accomplish without them, especially his mom.

"I would definitely be out of business if it weren't for her," Buetow said.

Theo's is still hiring for approximately 20 positions. The restaurant will host a job fair from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 12. Those interested should call Buetwow at 920-251-9188.